This invention relates in general to a cooled electric assembly. In particular, this invention relates to a system that uses a fluid coolant to remove heat from high voltage electrical conductors.
Many electric vehicles use a source of electric power, such as batteries or fuel cells, to drive a motor. The source of electric power is typically relatively high voltage. During operation of the vehicle, an electric current from the high voltage source is selectively distributed to various vehicle systems using conductors and switches.
The electric current travelling through the electrical systems produces heat. Excessive heat can cause damage to some of the components, and in some instances mechanisms are installed to help remove excess heat. These mechanisms often include heat sinks and cooling systems. These mechanisms often involve circulating a fluid past hot areas in order to remove the heat. Although circulated air is satisfactory to cool some components a liquid coolant may be desirable to remove excess heat from particularly hot or heat-sensitive components, using liquids that are better at conducting heat than air is.
There are disadvantages to using a liquid coolant, however. The liquid coolant can damage the electrical components by, for example, causing corrosion or short circuiting. Therefore, care must often be taken to prevent the liquid from coming into contact with the components, while still allowing the liquid to conduct heat away from the components. It would be advantageous to have an improved system for circulating liquid coolants.